Thursday, October 4, 2007

In-Progress At Talladega: Trackside On SPEED (7 PM)

Fans have been asking if they can comment on some of the happenings on the Trackside program on SPEED. This show has become a hit because of the interaction of host Steve Byrnes and his crew of Larry McReynolds, Jeff Hammond, and Elliott Sadler.

If you have not seen this fun show, take a peek at this edition of the Talladega program. At this time, Travis Kvapil is confirmed as one guest, but due to the happenings on the track on Friday, other guests will be appearing.

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To add your comment, simply click on the COMMENTS button below, and follow the simple instructions. We do not want your email address, and there is nothing to join. Just tell us what you think of Trackside on SPEED. Thanks again.

Trackside is my favorite show!! I LOVE Elliott Sadler and this happens to be the only time I get to see him on TV. The TV commentators and cameras vary rarely show him or interview him before the races, so I love the show. My favorite show was when they had Marcos Ambrose. Elliott and the guys were laughing so hard he had tears running down his face. It's great to see him happy and laughing. I was sad that he was not on the Richmond show, but I know he had tons of family and friends with him so I can totally understand his reason for not wanting to be on the show. I just hope that he returns to Trackside next year too!!!

I wish they would turn the stage around so that the show hosts & guests are facing the crowd (instead of having their backs to the crowd which is rude & dangerous, especially with the show outside the track) ... Plus, they need to dump the mic that's in the crowd as it makes it hard to hear the hosts & guests ...

I don't like Kvapil ... Why is he getting a 3rd shot at Cup?? He wrecked for Penske & drove Cal Wells out of busines and TIDE out of NASCAR ... He's only had success because of Mike Beam & the Mark Martin-raced trucks ...

I really love watching all the nascar shows on SPEED. You can go to Speedtv.com and always know what is going to be on and what times. I have one heck of a time trying to get the listings for ESPN, ABC, TNT, etc. Speed is the best. I really wish they could show all the practices & qualifying and just let ESPN2/TNT/ABC do the races (until the contract is up) then give it all to Speed. Haha Plus, they usually re-air practice & qualifying later. I love to watch and listen to Steve Byrnes & Rutledge. They are a hoot. I met them last year in Richmond (after Elliott's Barn Party) and this year in Chicago. They bring a fresh air to Nascar.

Last weeks Trackside was pretty hilarious too. Elliott had the raccoon hat on, then gave it to Larry Mac and they were just rolling with laughter. I was cracking up!!

Has anyone heard if Elliott and some other drivers went to the S.Carolina and Kentucky football game last night? I watched the whole thing and didn't see any of them. But Hermie said today that he was on the sidelines. Hmmm Maybe they'll mention it or show it tomorrow during the 'Countdown to Green'. I hope.

Oh yea, Wendy Venterini is pretty cool too!! I miss Krista Voda. She was pretty awesome too. Both of those gals know what they are talking about when they talk to the drivers. I don't get that when I watch the ESPN ladies.

usually I just find Rutledge silly but thought tonight he was fun with pronouncing peoples names. He had some good fan fodder. Besides, I hear Rutledge,the person is very nice when you meet him. But I understand his Race Day segments can be dragged out and silly.

I also wan't to know, WHY DON't the guys on the show FACE THE CROWD? I have never EVER heard the reasoning for that. If I wanted to see the gang and driver interviewed, who wants to look at their backs!?

AND they need to be better mic'd indeed with rowdy crowds at night. Sometimes I have to turn on the close captioning to hear. I know folks that go to the races love the SPEED SHOWS but the sound at home is bad. There have also been times the shows were so loud, I just turned it off. Good show, great idea, but needs 'sound and CROWD control'

Just once, I would like somebody to tell us why we have to watch the moving signs and folks jumping up and down in the background.

Think of the SPEED stage show's as "NASCAR Gameday" like ESPN's "College Gameday". I for one get a kick out of the signs and crowd "interaction" during both shows.

Agree that the talent audio situation needs to be resolved...Gameday seems to have it knocked down with the mics and processors they use. The Senheiser headsets (run from $250 to $400 depending on where you get them) do a great job of outside noise cancelling...but it's the mixing board-op's job to get the levels on any "crowd" mics they use...that would help a lot.

Think also the seperation from the stage for Gameday is much farther than what's used by SPEED. Then again, much less space to work with outside tracks for the SPEED crew than Gameday, which gets primo spots for their stuff.

I actually think the whole RaceDay show is way too dragged out. I say start the darn race earlier!! Besides, the other network overlaps Speed by an hour which really sucks. I don't know why Nascar would approve to have 2 shows on at the same time? Stupid call Nascar!!!

I am not sure why they decided to turn the backs on us during all the stage shows, but I'm assuming so the fans can be seen on TV. When I was at the Chicagoland Trackside this year, I couldn't hear hardly anything the guys were saying. Good thing I taped it so I could watch it when I got home. Hahaha I get so pissed off when I'm trying to listen to them talk and people from the crowd are screaming. Very rude. I find myself yelling at the TV telling the crowd to shut up. LOL I wonder if they turned the guys around so they didn't have to look at the signs and stuff?? Maybe it was too distracting for them as well?

Rutledge is a hoot. Leave him alone and let him do his thing. Nascar is too PC as it is. Rutledge is anti-PC.

I agree with the other posters about the audio. It sucks. Get some decent mics and somebody that knows how to operate the sound mix board. Put the guys on stage facing the crowd. I'm tired of seeing the drunk rednecks holding their beers up over the heads and shoulders of the panel and guests on stage.

All in all it's a fun show. Just need to put the guys on stage facing the audience and fix the poor audio.

Don't watch ESPN so don't know what "Gameday" is but glad OTHERS agree the mic and BACKGROUND NOISE is a huge issue. Also interesting to hear the sound is horrible in person.

HELLO SPEED, you never noticed the horrible audio. It does seem since they got those small headsets this year with the tiny black mics that look like like some BLACK GROWTH on a face, have things worsened?

Also VLane needs to address this issue. One time it was the helicopters taking off?!?! You mean they can't find a better broadcast spot than that?

What good is FUN if the distracting background takes away from the POINT OF THE SHOW.

TALK.

and folks wonder why I love INC...it's inside and it's quiet...well, except when I used to hear the garbage truck come years ago but they blocked out that noise.

But yea, all the LIVE LOUD SPEED SHOWS could INVEST in better sound board operators.

Thanks for the feedback folks. I don't feel like such a curmudgeon now.

SophiaZ123 said... Also VLane needs to address this issue. One time it was the helicopters taking off?!?! You mean they can't find a better broadcast spot than that?October 6, 2007 12:03 AM

the show is called victory lane because they are in victory lane. Its not speed's fault that a helipad is right next to victory lane. if it is, well what do you want SPEED to do? Broadcast from the other side of the track? I want to see a show from Victory lane.

Anonymous said... I actually think the whole RaceDay show is way too dragged out. I say start the darn race earlier!! Besides, the other network overlaps Speed by an hour which really sucks. I don't know why Nascar would approve to have 2 shows on at the same time? Stupid call Nascar!!! TracyOctober 5, 2007 10:57 PM

I completely disagree. The length of the show is fine how it is now. And now the fans have a CHOICE!! I can chose from a show on SPEED or ABC!! I want a choice.

It is interesting to note that even though Budweiser is a sponsor of Trackside, you cannot have an open container in the crowd...by that i mean it has to be in a coozie or concealed in some way...at least it was that way at LMS in Charlotte.

I know that at Michigan a couple of years ago, the show was impossible to hear from the crowd. That's why there's so much crowd noise. When you can't understand anything going on, but a camereas are nearby, what else is there do do but and mindlessly shout? And at MIS, no restrictions about open containers, which no doubt helps the enthusiasm. But at least back then, the unintelligable stage talent was facing us. I can't imagine watching a show where I couldn't hear or see the event. That's just stewpid.

Well I particularly don't like the crowd in the background and those signs they put up just drive me crazy! I enjoyed the interviews with Matt & Travis. Travis is a past champion of the truck series I actually think he should be staying in the trucks but he's given another chance at cup. Lucky him I guess.

Because, if they did, the crowd would be BEHIND the camera and you wouldn't see them. Think about any TV show using a host and audience--there's no way to see both their faces at the same time, and you only see the crowd when the camera is on them specifically.

Wow...so many sound experts in the audience. Man, if it wasn't for bloggers, how would any tv get done correctly. And let me tell you, whining on a blog gets results fast. If I was you, I'd ask for my money back from SPEED. It must be so frustrating watching tv you have to pay for and not getting the quality you want. Better yet, just keep whining and complaining on a blog to make yourself feel better. How's that working out for you? It is amazing how many audio mixing experts can be found on a blog....not actually doing it in the field. Might take time out of your day of watching and criticizing tv to actually learn about it. Hopefully, SPEED employees won't come to your place of work and tell you how to do your job...if you have one. Joel, Nashville, TN

I actually think the whole RaceDay show is way too dragged out. I say start the darn race earlier!! Besides, the other network overlaps Speed by an hour which really sucks. I don't know why Nascar would approve to have 2 shows on at the same time? Stupid call Nascar!!!

SPEED shows are not produced by NASCAR. That means:

1. Shortening or even doing away with RaceDay entirely would NOT cause the race to start any earlier. The race's start time is NASCAR's call. No matter when the race begins, RaceDay would just be backed-up to air ahead of it.

2. NASCAR does not "approve" SPEED's shows, so they have nothing to do with the fact the shows overlap. Not their "call."

I think it is a smart idea anyway, because I can watch SPEED until the Invocation instead of the poor-quality mess of a pre-race show ABC/ESPN is producing.

I also enjoy Trackside. If memory serves, the panel with their backs to the audience came about under Chris Long. The explanation was something on the order of, he wanted the viewers to see the audience and feel the excitement of being at the track. It caused viewer complaints at the time and still does. I’ve always felt that a camera sweep of the audience going to break would serve just as well.

I also have the sound problem of having difficulty hearing the panel at times. Like Sophia, I am in low-tech TV land. :)

Joel... "Wow...so many sound experts in the audience." You might be surprised at how many audio experts read this. And fixing the level issue between the crowd mic and the stage mics is not difficult. You probably already know that don't you?

This is what I found about the Trackside stage being turned around ... Yes, it was a Chris Long bad call ...

Sorry John - Not sure how you feel about people quoted from other articles being placed on here ... This is part of an interview on the Speed website entitled "New Speed Channel VP of Studio Production Wastes No Time Getting to Work" ...

SPEED: You've already turned the stage around for SPEED's popular Friday night show Trackside - is that the limit to the changes going on to the at-track programs?

LONG: All of the shows from the track will see an enormous bump-up in production value. We turned the stage around because I wanted the television viewers to appreciate the live aspect of being at the track. We are hiring some new producers who have experience working on the fly. We just purchased Final Cut Pro 5, a powerful and precise editing software tool, to raise the production value of segments, vignettes and teases.

Ya know the funniest part of Trackside was awhile back when Dale Jr went over to the Budweiser SideBar and tried to pour a Bud from the tap ... Unfortunately, his skills were not very good and he wound up with more foam than beer in the mug (He didn't know the trick of slanting the mug at about a 75% angle to lessen the foaming) ...

I use Zap2it website to get the tv listings (They don't list the guests, but their schedule is pretty darn accurate) ... You can get the schedule set-up for your specific zip code & cable/satellite provider ... Plus, you can see the schedule for about two weeks out ...